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Near Drowning. Drowning remains a significant worldwide public health concern, ranking as the third leading cause of unintentional injury death and accounting for 7% of all injury-related deaths.
It is a major cause of disability and death, particularly in children. At least one third of survivors sustain moderate-to-severe neurologic sequelae.
What is near-drowning? Near-drowning means a person almost died not being able to breathe underwater, or someone who survives from drowning.
And what is drowning? Drowning happens when a person is underwater and breathes water into the lungs. The airway can spasm and close, or water can damage the lungs and keep them from taking in oxygen. In either case, the lungs can’t supply oxygen to the body and this can be deadly.
Drowning is always fatal. If your body going without oxygen for 3 minutes underwater, you will lose consciousness, and if your body going without oxygen within 5 minutes underwater, the brain’s oxygen supply begins to drop, and lack of oxygen can cause brain damage.
Near-drowning sets into motion a collection of reactions in the body that ultimately can damage the lungs and lead to an absence of oxygen in tissues, even when a person has been removed from the water and begun breathing.
Near-drowning occurs when you’re unable to breathe underwater for a significant period of time. During near-drowning, your body is cut off from oxygen to the point where major body systems can begin to shut down from the lack of oxygen flow.
Person or children who survives a drowning may be unconscious, unable to breathe or without a heartbeat, gasp for air, cough up pink froth, vomit, breathe rapidly and even seem to be fine.
An emergency medical care is critical for a person who survives a drowning, because even a little water in the lungs can cause serious lung problems in the next hours or days.
Drowning Prevention
Drowning and near-drowning are always preventable, but the prevention depends on the knowledge of the adults and children about water safety.
Children cannot be left in or near water without an adult monitor. Places that are risky for unsupervised young children are around swimming pools, bathtubs, toilets, buckets, lakes or the sea.
Pools and spas need to be enclosed with a fence and have a self-closing and self-locking gate.
Adults and teens should consider learning CPR, water safety, and swimming.